When one better understands the Creators Creators, you stop stop seeing them as something greater greater and start seeing them as equals equals.
While other Clan-Packs trace their lineages back to mighty warlords, generals or heroes of old, Clan-Pack Rattus's origins were much more humble. It started with a simple meal in the City of Glass before the Great Pack of old collapsed.
Several priests and scholars of the Creators had gathered together to enjoy an evening meal together in celebration of a holiday in the Creators name that time has forgotten the details of. Well fed and in good humor, an after dinner conversation about the nature of the Creators was started. While some common core elements were easily agreed on by all gathered, what started as a casual conversation quickly turned into a heated debate as details were explored. The debate turned into an almost frenzied argument and it was only because a scholar by the name of Sakata slammed his paws against the table like thunder in order to quite down the din was bloodshed avoided.
"Brothers Brothers and Sisters Sisters, fighting among ourselves will not not allow us to understand the Creators. We We must go out and learn learn what we can of the Creators and their works for ourselves before before we can even think think of understanding their nature."
Tempers cooled, the priests and scholars quickly found themselves somewhat excited about the prospect of finding more information on the Creators themselves. Within days of the meal, they had gone out and gathered several expeditions of rats and mice together with supplies for the sole purpose of heading out into the world in order to try and uncover and answer some of the great mysteries of the Creators and their works.
During the chaos of the fall of the Great Pack, the creation of the Field of Bones and the murderous tides of beasts and monsters that filled the world, the fates of many of these expeditions are unknown. What is known is that one of the expeditions was lead by Sakata himself upwards, making the long and harrowing journey up to the land between (the second floor) in order to seek knowledge there.
What they found was a treasure trove of knowledge gathered together in one place that was far beyond their wildest dreams. They found a 'Ook Stor', a place that clearly must have been of some great value to the Creators due to the massive amount of tomes of all shapes and sizes that had been gathered and stored there. So many in fact that even if a mouse or rat could read the writings of the Creators, no single being would be able to read through them all in a single lifetime. The daunting nature of the task didn't stop them through; Sakata's expedition planted itself and began a task that would require countless generations to achieve.
In time, Sakata passed and his expedition took on the title of the 'Ook Stor' Clan-Pack, each generation dedicated to plumbing the depths of the tomes of the Creators to try and gain greater insight into their true nature. That is... until a certain tome was opened up. Inside were pictures of -thousands- of different creatures and beasts that had never been seen by the eyes of rat or mouse, but clearly must exist in some far off, exotic land beyond the roof. Not all the creatures were strangers through...
Among the strange and exotic creatures that Creators either made or encountered (The very idea that the Creators hadn't created all life was mind boggling) were the pictures of a humble rat and a small, given the name of 'Rattus' and 'Mus'. The discovery of the original names the Creators had given them sent a shockwave through the Clan-Pack, both words quickly gaining holy importance while also giving researchers a clear indication that the history of Rats and Smalls went back so far that even the oldest tales from Beyond Time were relatively recent by comparison.
When the civil war between the Faith in the Creators and the Faith of Fire began, Clan-Pack Ook Stor quickly threw in its lot with the Faith in the Creators. While there were some... ideological differences that caused tension between the Clan and the City of Glass, both could easily agree on the fact that the Faith of Fire needed to be smothered before it could consume them all. Clan-Pack Ook Stor's role in the war was largely that of inventors and creators for the forces of the Creators; Their armor and creations became vital tools for faithful forces, through the most well known and legendary item that they created was the legendary Forgebreaker. According to Clan-Pack legend, Forgebreaker earned its name on the day that it was completed. As it was carried out of the forge it had been created in, the flame in the forge went out before it broke apart with a mighty crack.
In the current generation the Clan-Pack is slowly rebuilding its numbers after losses during the war with the Faith of Fire while attempting to maintain at least an acceptable relationship with the City of Glass despite recent tensions.
Clan-Pack Ook Stor has a somewhat... flexible leadership structure in that the exact number of leaders changes with time. The Clan-Pack favors the leadership of a council made up of the oldest and wisest members of the Clan-Pack, a position on the council normally being offered to those who have lived long enough to start showing signs of their advanced age. Because there is no maximum size to the council, this results in the size shifting over time as members join or pass away. The only position on the Council that outlives the current occupant is that of the leader of the Warrior-Monks, who is assured a position and often in charge of military matters.
Unlike with other rat packs, Smalls that met the requirements are also free to join the Council and are generally treated with the same respect of their rat peers. After all, Wisdom is Wisdom regardless of the source.
The Council of Ook Stor do tend to be made up of Scholars, through like the position reserved for the Leader of the Warrior-Monk order members of other professions can rise into a leadership position.
Clan-Pack Ook Stor makes its home in an old abandoned book store on the second floor, but they have also laid claim to the empty store next door. Using knowledge gleamed from the tomes of the Creators and trading knowledge and well made equipment with other clan-packs, the Ook Stor rats have largely converted the empty space into a series of different farms with the import of dirt, seeds and a somewhat primitive understanding of what the Creators called 'Farming'.
From the onset of Sakata's expedition in order to uncover a greater understanding of the Creators, the Rats and Smalls that followed him all possessed a love and desire to learn and understand their gods better in order to live up to their ideals. While over the generations the relationship between the Rats and Smalls of Clan-Pack Ook Stor and the Creators may have changed, they still hold the Creators in high regard while highly valuing knowledge and technology even in the modern day.
The shared passion for knowledge shared by the rats and smalls of the Clan-Pack has resulted in the two intermingling to the point where both species are considered more or less equal over the Generations. While some jobs clearly favor the traits that either a small or a rat are born with, it isn't strange to see a Small Warrior-Monk training alongside their larger rat brothers and sisters in arms. Provided that one puts the time and effort into it to be at least on par (if not better) then their peers in the field, one can follow any path in life that they desire.
While the Clan-Pack is clearly a follower of the Faith of the Creators, it has a somewhat different relationship with their gods then other Clan-Packs that follow the faith... to the point where some of the more zealous of Creator worshiping Clan-Packs would consider them heretics.
Researching the technologies, stories, history and to the surprise of many the differing faiths of the Creators over the Generations, the Ook Stor Clan-Pack view their gods less like divine beings completely beyond understanding and more like mortals that developed a greater understanding of the world around them to the point where they could reshape it to suit their needs and desires. God-like, worthy of respect and being an example to try and live up to, but not divine in nature.
The Warrior-Monks of Clan Ook Stor have long been the militant branch of the Clan-Pack as a whole. Originally they were the warriors and protectors of Sakata's expedition, but as the Generations passed and more information from the Creators was translated the Warrior-Monk order was formed around a Creator tome literally titled 'The Art of War'.
While the Warrior Monks might not be the greatest militant force in the mall, they are well known for their good equipment, tactics and discipline... even more surprising due to the clan-pack being somewhat more pacifist in nature then other clan-packs. Clan Ook Stor might not start fights, but it's more then prepared to finish them.
Clan-Pack Ook Stor
History
While other Clan-Packs trace their lineages back to mighty warlords, generals or heroes of old, Clan-Pack Rattus's origins were much more humble. It started with a simple meal in the City of Glass before the Great Pack of old collapsed.
Several priests and scholars of the Creators had gathered together to enjoy an evening meal together in celebration of a holiday in the Creators name that time has forgotten the details of. Well fed and in good humor, an after dinner conversation about the nature of the Creators was started. While some common core elements were easily agreed on by all gathered, what started as a casual conversation quickly turned into a heated debate as details were explored. The debate turned into an almost frenzied argument and it was only because a scholar by the name of Sakata slammed his paws against the table like thunder in order to quite down the din was bloodshed avoided.
"Brothers Brothers and Sisters Sisters, fighting among ourselves will not not allow us to understand the Creators. We We must go out and learn learn what we can of the Creators and their works for ourselves before before we can even think think of understanding their nature."
Tempers cooled, the priests and scholars quickly found themselves somewhat excited about the prospect of finding more information on the Creators themselves. Within days of the meal, they had gone out and gathered several expeditions of rats and mice together with supplies for the sole purpose of heading out into the world in order to try and uncover and answer some of the great mysteries of the Creators and their works.
During the chaos of the fall of the Great Pack, the creation of the Field of Bones and the murderous tides of beasts and monsters that filled the world, the fates of many of these expeditions are unknown. What is known is that one of the expeditions was lead by Sakata himself upwards, making the long and harrowing journey up to the land between (the second floor) in order to seek knowledge there.
What they found was a treasure trove of knowledge gathered together in one place that was far beyond their wildest dreams. They found a 'Ook Stor', a place that clearly must have been of some great value to the Creators due to the massive amount of tomes of all shapes and sizes that had been gathered and stored there. So many in fact that even if a mouse or rat could read the writings of the Creators, no single being would be able to read through them all in a single lifetime. The daunting nature of the task didn't stop them through; Sakata's expedition planted itself and began a task that would require countless generations to achieve.
In time, Sakata passed and his expedition took on the title of the 'Ook Stor' Clan-Pack, each generation dedicated to plumbing the depths of the tomes of the Creators to try and gain greater insight into their true nature. That is... until a certain tome was opened up. Inside were pictures of -thousands- of different creatures and beasts that had never been seen by the eyes of rat or mouse, but clearly must exist in some far off, exotic land beyond the roof. Not all the creatures were strangers through...
Among the strange and exotic creatures that Creators either made or encountered (The very idea that the Creators hadn't created all life was mind boggling) were the pictures of a humble rat and a small, given the name of 'Rattus' and 'Mus'. The discovery of the original names the Creators had given them sent a shockwave through the Clan-Pack, both words quickly gaining holy importance while also giving researchers a clear indication that the history of Rats and Smalls went back so far that even the oldest tales from Beyond Time were relatively recent by comparison.
When the civil war between the Faith in the Creators and the Faith of Fire began, Clan-Pack Ook Stor quickly threw in its lot with the Faith in the Creators. While there were some... ideological differences that caused tension between the Clan and the City of Glass, both could easily agree on the fact that the Faith of Fire needed to be smothered before it could consume them all. Clan-Pack Ook Stor's role in the war was largely that of inventors and creators for the forces of the Creators; Their armor and creations became vital tools for faithful forces, through the most well known and legendary item that they created was the legendary Forgebreaker. According to Clan-Pack legend, Forgebreaker earned its name on the day that it was completed. As it was carried out of the forge it had been created in, the flame in the forge went out before it broke apart with a mighty crack.
In the current generation the Clan-Pack is slowly rebuilding its numbers after losses during the war with the Faith of Fire while attempting to maintain at least an acceptable relationship with the City of Glass despite recent tensions.
Leadership
Clan-Pack Ook Stor has a somewhat... flexible leadership structure in that the exact number of leaders changes with time. The Clan-Pack favors the leadership of a council made up of the oldest and wisest members of the Clan-Pack, a position on the council normally being offered to those who have lived long enough to start showing signs of their advanced age. Because there is no maximum size to the council, this results in the size shifting over time as members join or pass away. The only position on the Council that outlives the current occupant is that of the leader of the Warrior-Monks, who is assured a position and often in charge of military matters.
Unlike with other rat packs, Smalls that met the requirements are also free to join the Council and are generally treated with the same respect of their rat peers. After all, Wisdom is Wisdom regardless of the source.
The Council of Ook Stor do tend to be made up of Scholars, through like the position reserved for the Leader of the Warrior-Monk order members of other professions can rise into a leadership position.
Territory and Resources
Clan-Pack Ook Stor makes its home in an old abandoned book store on the second floor, but they have also laid claim to the empty store next door. Using knowledge gleamed from the tomes of the Creators and trading knowledge and well made equipment with other clan-packs, the Ook Stor rats have largely converted the empty space into a series of different farms with the import of dirt, seeds and a somewhat primitive understanding of what the Creators called 'Farming'.
Culture and Faith
From the onset of Sakata's expedition in order to uncover a greater understanding of the Creators, the Rats and Smalls that followed him all possessed a love and desire to learn and understand their gods better in order to live up to their ideals. While over the generations the relationship between the Rats and Smalls of Clan-Pack Ook Stor and the Creators may have changed, they still hold the Creators in high regard while highly valuing knowledge and technology even in the modern day.
The shared passion for knowledge shared by the rats and smalls of the Clan-Pack has resulted in the two intermingling to the point where both species are considered more or less equal over the Generations. While some jobs clearly favor the traits that either a small or a rat are born with, it isn't strange to see a Small Warrior-Monk training alongside their larger rat brothers and sisters in arms. Provided that one puts the time and effort into it to be at least on par (if not better) then their peers in the field, one can follow any path in life that they desire.
While the Clan-Pack is clearly a follower of the Faith of the Creators, it has a somewhat different relationship with their gods then other Clan-Packs that follow the faith... to the point where some of the more zealous of Creator worshiping Clan-Packs would consider them heretics.
Researching the technologies, stories, history and to the surprise of many the differing faiths of the Creators over the Generations, the Ook Stor Clan-Pack view their gods less like divine beings completely beyond understanding and more like mortals that developed a greater understanding of the world around them to the point where they could reshape it to suit their needs and desires. God-like, worthy of respect and being an example to try and live up to, but not divine in nature.
Army and Warriors
The Warrior-Monks of Clan Ook Stor have long been the militant branch of the Clan-Pack as a whole. Originally they were the warriors and protectors of Sakata's expedition, but as the Generations passed and more information from the Creators was translated the Warrior-Monk order was formed around a Creator tome literally titled 'The Art of War'.
While the Warrior Monks might not be the greatest militant force in the mall, they are well known for their good equipment, tactics and discipline... even more surprising due to the clan-pack being somewhat more pacifist in nature then other clan-packs. Clan Ook Stor might not start fights, but it's more then prepared to finish them.
Richness: 4
Military: 4
Population: 4
Knowledge: 5+1
Ferocity: 1
Weaknesses:
Extrraticated by Fire-
Just because a peace treaty was signed between the Faiths of the Creators and the Faiths of Fire, doesn't mean that an Ook Stor rat would live in they walked boldly into territory held by a Faith of Fire clan. After all, it was an Ook Stor weapon that felled the Burning Prophet.
A Rat or just a Mice
Military: 4
Population: 4
Knowledge: 5+1
Ferocity: 1
Weaknesses:
Extrraticated by Fire-
Just because a peace treaty was signed between the Faiths of the Creators and the Faiths of Fire, doesn't mean that an Ook Stor rat would live in they walked boldly into territory held by a Faith of Fire clan. After all, it was an Ook Stor weapon that felled the Burning Prophet.
A Rat or just a Mice
